Grad conquers more than academics in high school

Hayley Morris, center, was surrounded by her friends and classmates as they took part in the fourth annual Hayley Hustle 5K, which benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association, last month at West Henderson High. This year they made the Hayley Hustle 5K a color run. A different color was thrown on runners as they passed each kilometer of the race.

PATRICK SULLIVAN/TIMES-NEWS

By MOLLY MCGOWANTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, June 12, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 9:04 p.m.

High school is a time of transition for students as they become more independent, discover their passions and determine their post-graduation goals.

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Hayley Morris, 18, faced all of those social and academic challenges at West Henderson High, while simultaneously adapting to changes a disorder in her body was forcing her to make.

When Morris graduates Friday, she will roll across the stage in her wheelchair, beaming the smile she's known for throughout West. Morris did the same last month, when she accepted her Top Scholars medal at Blue Ridge Community College among 62 of her peers.

The high achiever hasn't always had wheels, though, and can mark the progression of her Freidreich's ataxia by the adjustments she's had to make over the past four years.

“My freshman year, I walked at school,” Morris said.

She had just been diagnosed with FA, a neuromuscular disease, during eighth grade as she recovered from spinal surgery for scoliosis, which can be a symptom of FA, Morris said.

During physical therapy for her back surgery, Morris noticed she was very off balance.

“I was out of sports for about a year, and that's when everything started hitting me,” said Morris, who used to play softball and volleyball.

She was still on her feet her freshman year, but during her sophomore year Morris became winded just walking through the halls, and needed her friends to support her many times.

“All of my energy was spent on walking,” she said. “I would come home, take a nap, do homework and then go to bed again.”

Because she was so exhausted each day after school, Morris began missing out on social gatherings and football games. When it was suggested she use a wheelchair to get around, Morris balked at the idea.

“I'm really stubborn,” she said. “I used to be an athlete, so it was a really big transition.”

Morris started using a wheelchair, and found that she had more energy for after-school activities since she wasn't using all her energy on walking. She's continued to rely on her wheelchair for transportation, since the FA has decreased the feeling in her hands and feet.

“It starts in the extremities and it will slowly affect my whole body,” Morris said. “It affects really simple things, like reaching out or touching something when you don't have control over your arm.”

“Junior and senior year, I really started to notice the toll the disease would take on my handwriting,” she said.

Suzanne Perron, a Spanish teacher and Student Government Association sponsor at West, recalled helping Morris with note-taking her sophomore and junior years.

At first, Perron said, “She was just so mortified that I was going to have to go out of my way to help her,” adding that Morris has always thought of others before herself.

But over the years, Perron said Morris has learned that it's okay to rely on others for help sometimes — and that her family at West is more than happy to give it.

“I don't think there's one person — one child, one adult — here at West who doesn't like (Morris),” Perron said. “She just radiates so much positivity.”

Morris said she's so thankful for all her friends at West who have made the transitions — both typical and atypical for a high school student — more manageable.

One such friend is Chandler Danielson, who grew up playing softball and volleyball with Morris. Danielson was also the student who dreamt up the Hayley Hustle 5K when the girls were freshmen, to show support for her friend and raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

When Perron became SGA sponsor two years ago, she expanded the Hayley Hustle into a two-day event; the Friday before the run, the community participates in a pig pickin' and silent auction. This year the Hayley Hustle was a color run, and due to its overwhelming success, Perron plans to do the same next year, but at a different time.

“They're actually going to do it the third week of May every year so we're all home from college and we can come,” Morris said. “I'm really excited.”

This year, Morris said the race raised enough money to send all the children in Henderson County with muscular dystrophy to a special Muscular Dystrophy Association camp in South Carolina, and an additional $5,000 went specifically to research on FA.

“It's incredible what everyone's done,” she said. “The Hayley Hustle has really changed my perspective on things,” particularly on what a community will do to help others.

Perron said Morris has had a similar effect on her life.

“She's absolutely changed the way I look at things,” Perron said. “Through it all she's so positive, and she's so bright.”

Morris has remained bright both in spirit and in intellect through her high school career, and rarely missed a day of school because she loves to learn.

Though students with a chronic illness are allowed to miss days of school, Perron said, “Hayley wil come here through rain, sleet, snow, fever (or) illness.”

Morris said she loves to learn and she loves school. She will attend Wake Forest University in the fall, where she hopes to major in Spanish and take pre-med classes.

“It's always been a goal of mine to be a Top Scholar, to wear the medal at graduation,” Morris said, adding that she's also proud to have been on West's award-winning yearbook staff all four years of high school.

“I've not let my disease ... come in the way of my academics,” she said. “I'm really proud of that.”

<p>High school is a time of transition for students as they become more independent, discover their passions and determine their post-graduation goals.</p><p>Hayley Morris, 18, faced all of those social and academic challenges at West Henderson High, while simultaneously adapting to changes a disorder in her body was forcing her to make.</p><p>When Morris graduates Friday, she will roll across the stage in her wheelchair, beaming the smile she's known for throughout West. Morris did the same last month, when she accepted her Top Scholars medal at Blue Ridge Community College among 62 of her peers.</p><p>The high achiever hasn't always had wheels, though, and can mark the progression of her Freidreich's ataxia by the adjustments she's had to make over the past four years.</p><p>“My freshman year, I walked at school,” Morris said.</p><p>She had just been diagnosed with FA, a neuromuscular disease, during eighth grade as she recovered from spinal surgery for scoliosis, which can be a symptom of FA, Morris said.</p><p>During physical therapy for her back surgery, Morris noticed she was very off balance.</p><p>“I was out of sports for about a year, and that's when everything started hitting me,” said Morris, who used to play softball and volleyball.</p><p>She was still on her feet her freshman year, but during her sophomore year Morris became winded just walking through the halls, and needed her friends to support her many times.</p><p>“All of my energy was spent on walking,” she said. “I would come home, take a nap, do homework and then go to bed again.”</p><p>Because she was so exhausted each day after school, Morris began missing out on social gatherings and football games. When it was suggested she use a wheelchair to get around, Morris balked at the idea.</p><p>“I'm really stubborn,” she said. “I used to be an athlete, so it was a really big transition.”</p><p>Morris started using a wheelchair, and found that she had more energy for after-school activities since she wasn't using all her energy on walking. She's continued to rely on her wheelchair for transportation, since the FA has decreased the feeling in her hands and feet.</p><p>“It starts in the extremities and it will slowly affect my whole body,” Morris said. “It affects really simple things, like reaching out or touching something when you don't have control over your arm.”</p><p>“Junior and senior year, I really started to notice the toll the disease would take on my handwriting,” she said.</p><p>Suzanne Perron, a Spanish teacher and Student Government Association sponsor at West, recalled helping Morris with note-taking her sophomore and junior years.</p><p>At first, Perron said, “She was just so mortified that I was going to have to go out of my way to help her,” adding that Morris has always thought of others before herself.</p><p>But over the years, Perron said Morris has learned that it's okay to rely on others for help sometimes — and that her family at West is more than happy to give it.</p><p>“I don't think there's one person — one child, one adult — here at West who doesn't like (Morris),” Perron said. “She just radiates so much positivity.”</p><p>Morris said she's so thankful for all her friends at West who have made the transitions — both typical and atypical for a high school student — more manageable.</p><p>One such friend is Chandler Danielson, who grew up playing softball and volleyball with Morris. Danielson was also the student who dreamt up the Hayley Hustle 5K when the girls were freshmen, to show support for her friend and raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.</p><p>When Perron became SGA sponsor two years ago, she expanded the Hayley Hustle into a two-day event; the Friday before the run, the community participates in a pig pickin' and silent auction. This year the Hayley Hustle was a color run, and due to its overwhelming success, Perron plans to do the same next year, but at a different time.</p><p>“They're actually going to do it the third week of May every year so we're all home from college and we can come,” Morris said. “I'm really excited.”</p><p>This year, Morris said the race raised enough money to send all the children in Henderson County with muscular dystrophy to a special Muscular Dystrophy Association camp in South Carolina, and an additional $5,000 went specifically to research on FA.</p><p>“It's incredible what everyone's done,” she said. “The Hayley Hustle has really changed my perspective on things,” particularly on what a community will do to help others.</p><p>Perron said Morris has had a similar effect on her life.</p><p>“She's absolutely changed the way I look at things,” Perron said. “Through it all she's so positive, and she's so bright.”</p><p>Morris has remained bright both in spirit and in intellect through her high school career, and rarely missed a day of school because she loves to learn.</p><p>Though students with a chronic illness are allowed to miss days of school, Perron said, “Hayley wil come here through rain, sleet, snow, fever (or) illness.”</p><p>Morris said she loves to learn and she loves school. She will attend Wake Forest University in the fall, where she hopes to major in Spanish and take pre-med classes.</p><p>“It's always been a goal of mine to be a Top Scholar, to wear the medal at graduation,” Morris said, adding that she's also proud to have been on West's award-winning yearbook staff all four years of high school.</p><p>“I've not let my disease ... come in the way of my academics,” she said. “I'm really proud of that.”</p><p>___</p><p>Reach McGowan at molly.mcgowan@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7871.</p><p>___</p><p>Follow Molly McGowan on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TNmollymcgowan</p>